


On the Course of Judgement

by Myhopewentnope



Category: Original Work
Genre: Angels, Angst, Character Death, Character Transformation, Demons, F/F, F/M, Judgment, Love Triangles, Multi, Must Read, My First AO3 Post, Original Character(s), Partner Betrayal, Past Lives, Past Rape/Non-con, Self-Discovery, Self-Reflection, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-08
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-13 18:13:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29282814
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Myhopewentnope/pseuds/Myhopewentnope
Summary: Finding yourself is hard enough as it is in the modern day. It's even harder when you're stuck on the bridge between life and death. With no past memory or sense of identity, there is no other choice than to participate in the test. It's up to you whether you pass it or not, or more importantly gain what you're looking for. All you can hope to do is step forward; Whatever it takes to get somewhere other than here.
Kudos: 2





	1. Commencement

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is my first story, so please feel free to comment on any errors. I hope you do enjoy it, and continue to check it out! I will post on a weekly to bi-weekly basis.
> 
> *This is my original story, so I will not condone any copying of my content in any way, shape or form.*

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She doesn't know who she is, and finds herself disoriented. With a newfound opportunity she can't pass up, she is only left to ponder her choices.

She didn't know where she was, or who she was in fact. All she knew was that she was hurting. She was hurting horribly. Her head stung and pounded while the rest of her body felt as if it was lit on fire. Her hazy vision had allowed her to see white hallways around her and people dressed in blue and black at her side. They all seemed to be yelling at each other and looking at her. They turned throughout the never ending halls until they finally approached two grey double doors. As they rushed through the doors, her vision went white then darkness set in.

In the darkness, she felt as if she was being pulled down by a force. She didn't know how she got in this place, but she wanted badly to get out. It felt cold and water like and she struggled to stay afloat in it. Everything was just so suffocating; It was like dark matter was filling her lungs, pores, and every region of her body. She pushed and pulled against the force as it dragged her down deeper into the darkness. As she kicked and fought, a stream of light shone onto her. She looked above hurriedly to see the source. Soon there was more light shining in and it lit up the darkness. She felt the force loosen up on her and she took her chance to swim away.

She swam upwards towards the light and looked down at the inky abyss below her. There were dark tendrils cringing away from the brightness, but a few of them resumed their reach for her. She quickly continued to swim in the direction of the light. As she got closer, she felt another force push her towards her destination. The closer she got to the light, the brighter it shined. She reached a hand out and felt herself getting sucked in. She closed her eyes tightly and shouted as she was shot forward at an incredible speed. She peeked her eyes open, but she couldn’t make out anything. Everything she saw was blurred and indiscernible.

Quite suddenly things slowed down for her and she was given the chance to take in her surroundings. The scenery around her was full of fluffy clouds, and there were streams of light everywhere. She heard voices singing melodies, and laughter filling the air. Although she heard the sounds of people nearby she didn't see anyone. She pondered these things for a moment before she felt herself getting carried away by the force again. This time she was moved at a slower pace skyward. As she went up, she stretched out her arm and felt for a cloud. The texture was different than she initially thought; It was similar to cotton, but somehow less tangible. She was soon above the clouds and the force held her where she was. She watched in awe as grey clouds and light streams then mixed together and created a boisterous thundering sound. The odd mixture loomed above her like a storm brewing.

Terror and anxiety pooled in the pit of her stomach, but she sucked up her fear to find her voice. She moved her mouth but nothing came out. She tried again only to end up with the same results. She looked at the storm in front of her and wondered if she had done something to anger it. Had she done something horrible in her life? Maybe she told one too many lies or lived a life of corruption. She felt like a child thinking of all their wrong doings and was about to be put on punishment for it. She wished for everything to be over already. She was suddenly pulled closer to it, and terror flowed into her once more. A booming voice ripped through the air with a great amount of power in it.

¨Child, do you not know who you are? Or why you’re here?¨

She knew that trying to reply vocally wouldn't work, so she opted to think of her reply loudly in her mind. She tried her best to broadcast her thoughts.

¨No, I don´t know my name, nor do I know why I´m here. Perhaps I had done something to anger you? I can’t remember much, but I am very sorry if I offended you.”

A loud rumble sounded through the air. She thought it was somewhat similar to laughter. It could sound genuine and hearty if you strained your ears hard enough.

¨Child, that isn't the case at all. You are here due to an accident, and your mortal body was severely damaged. Your spirit departed and was stuck in limbo until my light found you. You´re here to go through judgement.¨

¨Judgement? What do you mean?¨

“Since you departed earlier than you were supposed to, I can give you a chance to go back. If you can pass my judgement, you will be able to return to your old life. If you fail, you will stay here for eternity.”

If she passed the judgement, she could go back and continue living her life. But did she really want to go back though? What was her old life even like, or more importantly was it worth returning to? Such thoughts swirled through her head before one firmly took root. She had to learn who she was, and everything that transpired in her life. She did not have even the barest memory of who she was. Who was she if she did not have her memories? She would be a stranger to herself. Even if she doesn’t pass, she could at least find out something about herself.

“Have you made your decision?”

“Yes, I would like to try to pass your judgement.”

“Very well, I give you my blessing that you may succeed.”

With those final words the scenery merged together, and spun around her rapidly. It transformed into a grey landscape that was seemingly endless and empty. There was the exception of the yellow staircase in front of her. It seemed endless as well. A nagging voice bit it’s way into her conscience. What did I get myself into?


	2. A Golden Trial

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first round of judgement begins, and difficulty already awaits her. She meets two new beings along the way. One makes themselves known as foe, and the other as friend. Only time will tell what will become of their relations with each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I spent five hours on this chapter. It's currently 5:41 am. My mind is gone guys; I am going to sleep. Anyways please enjoy this chapter, and stick around for more updates.

She carefully observed her surroundings, and saw nothing but a land of dust. There were no signs of life to be seen anywhere with the exception of herself. If she could even call herself a 'living' being as of now. The only thing that stood out in the barren landscape was the looming, yellow tower of stairs in the near distance. As she looked at it, she noted that it seemed to be never-ending, and it gave off an unsettling aura. Quite fitting for the first round of assessment from the entity. She took a sharp breath (Did she even need to breathe anymore?) and trudged her way towards the stairs. As she approached, she heard strange clicking noises that only grew in volume as she got closer. It was almost if there was working machinery nearby, but that would be impossible. The noise almost seemed to come from the staircase itself. The staircase was substantial in size, but it did not have enough room to house any kind of machinery. 

Enough was enough! She scolded herself internally. It was time to stop analyzing things, and focus more on the important task. She needed to hurry up, and climb the stairs if she wanted to get anywhere any time soon. Time may have seemed limitless as of late, but she was not going to take it for granted. She stepped onto the first stair and in that same moment a small feeling of fright raked itself across her heart. 

Each step she took seemed to get louder and louder. An imaginary heartbeat started to thunder in her ear. Butterflies started to creep and flutter around in her gut. The yellow from the staircase started to shimmer, and her gaze became unfocused. She had to stop walking, and crouch against a step. A pattern started to occur.

Badump. Badump.   
Flutter.   
Badump. Badump.   
Flutter.   
Badump. Badump.  
Flutter.

Her body seemed to be stuck in a repetitious trance. The thumping of her chest started to hurt, and the constant fluttering made her gut ache. She wasn't sure which one was worse, but she would do anything to make them both stop. She grabbed at her chest and belly. It was becoming too much. The beating of her chest left her winded; She could feel something pounding at her chest from the inside. The butterflies in her stomach transformed into angry hornets. Poking into her stomach and fluttering around with much vigor. She shifted from a crouch into a fetal position. 

Pain was flooding into her in waves now, and the sensory overload came crashing in. The staircase was no longer yellow, but took on more of a shimmering gold. It looked as if it was feeding off of her pain. The familiar mechanical sounds she heard earlier filled her ears once more. Terror gripped her harshly, and that feeling alone gave her the boost she needed to lift herself up. Only to nearly crash face first into the next step. She had to get off this staircase before something really bad happened. 

She attempted at lifting herself up again, and was met with a little more success. She turned herself onto her bottom, and carefully started to scoot her way down the rest of the stairs. She didn't trust her legs to fully support her weight; Her upper body was still experiencing the pain and aftershocks of whatever effects were placed on her. The staircase started to vibrate, and sudden whirring sounds caught her attention. She wasn't too far up on the staircase, so she still had a chance to make it down. Passing this trial was the last thing on her mind at the moment, she needed to ensure her survival. 

The vibrations soon evolved into hard tremors that shook her mercilessly. The stairs then began to spin upwards in a clockwise rotation. Alarm made its way next to terror in her heart. Feelings she momentarily suppressed came back again. The awful feelings of a racing heartbeat and flying insects in her stomach returned with a vengeance. Her overworked senses were telling her everything was going horribly wrong. Her efforts at going down the stairs were deemed fruitless, and she was carried up by the rotation. Thankfully, the stairs seemed to be moving up at a slow pace, however, she became increasingly distressed. What was she supposed to do now?

“How much more pathetic can you get?”

A sharp, mocking voice cut through the air. Surprise and relief filled her all at once. There was someone else here as well. Although they did not seem to be the friendliest, they may be able to help her out of this. Though where were they?

“Look at you! How can you expect to pass divine judgement when you cannot even stand on your feet? What a pitiful soul you are.”

What in the world? She needed help not ridicule. She carefully made her way toward the edge of the stair she sat on. She peered at the desolate terrain below her; There was not a single soul in sight. Has insanity already begun to infect her brain? Bringing her lucid hallucinations, and tricking her fragile mind into believing things that were not there? 

“Are you looking for me unsighted wench? Hopefully your hearing is in better shape than your sight. Look towards the last stair.”

A figure clad in gold was seated on a lower step. It was hard to make out some of their features, but they appeared to be male. She called out to him with an unsteady voice.

“Please help me sir. I can hardly move and I don’t know what to do. I just want to get off of this staircase.”

“What can I possibly gain from helping you? Or more importantly why would I waste energy in helping you?”

“Sir please, I really need help. Can you please help me get down? This staircase is terrifying can’t you feel it feeding off of you as well?”

“You still have not answered my questions, stupid girl. I suppose I could enlighten you in what is happening. This staircase is known as Whitianek’s Stairwell. It is designed in a way to accommodate and torture each soul that dares wonder onto it’s steps. That is all I will tell you.” 

At least she was given a bit of information on whatever she was on. Though it was hardly motivational, and only brought her sickening despair. The staircase started to quicken it’s pace. She felt the surface beneath her heat up and burn harshly at her skin. She let out a startled cry, and shot up. It was a bad idea as she toppled backwards almost immediately. She tumbled down the steps painfully, and she was sure she heard the man laugh at her. Each step she fell on felt excruciating. If her injuries didn’t kill her, the pain and shock she felt most certainly would. The brutal fall only came to an end when she skidded off the edge of a step into the air. She was barely hanging onto consciousness at this point; She was only able to register she was no longer on the staircase anymore. Just like she wanted. 

Too bad her wish was only short lived. The staircase accelerated and moved up at the speed of a bullet train; It twisted and widened. Her free fall only lasted momentarily. She landed hard on the staircase and tumbled down a few more steps before finally stopping. Her body sprawled out like an octopus on land. Everything blurred together into a lump of agony. Her world was spinning, her body locked in a battle between cold numbness and ache, and her sanity was on the verge of breaking. One question popped up in her mind. How was she not dead? 

“I have never seen a more sorry sight than you. I almost feel embarrassed for you.”

The man draped in gold was in front of her. She blearily took his form in. His attire was very similar to a ceremonial robe. The fabric of it was embroidered with intricate, golden designs; It seemed like something regal to wear. Her eyes lazily looked up to his face to assess his features. He was out of this world handsome. His eyes were a wonderful mix of hazel and gold. His hair, beautiful and black, was styled into locs. His skin was a smooth, deep brown; Free of any blemishes. White teeth exposed by a critical sneer. He seemed to be exasperated by her presence. Like by her being here brought him great inconvenience and misfortune. 

“Get up wench. I decided graciously to tell you how to get off this staircase. I don’t think you’ll last much longer.”

She merely tilted her head towards him. Her body was in no condition to move. 

“The staircase will not allow you to leave by climbing down or falling off, but that is if you do so of your own volition. You need the assistance of an outside party. That’s where I come in.”

He stepped down to where she was, and forcefully grabbed her by the underarms. He lifted her up into a sitting position. Her bones and joints protested against the movement. She let out a small whimper. The man gave her an uncanny grin as if he enjoyed seeing her uncomfortable. 

“If I myself were to throw you off, the staircase would let you fall. It will be a rough landing, but you’ll walk it off won’t you?”

“W-w-wait, give me a minute.”

She couldn’t imagine the pain she would feel if she were to take another fall. Especially so soon. The man scoffed at her and tightened his grip on her underarms. She nearly shrieked at the feeling. She looked back at him ready to yell but became startled. The man’s eyes started to glow a sharp yellow, and his grin had taken to be disturbing. He seemed to be quite sadistic; He was starting to scare her. 

“Don’t be cowardly now! Isn’t this what you wanted? To be free of my despicable staircase, and without affliction. Feel honored that I, Whitianek, am personally liberating you.”

He lifted her up once again, and panic seeped into her heart.

“I-I-Isn’t that the name of the staircase? Wait! I said wait!”

“Are you really that dim-witted? I am the keeper of this staircase girl, and you’ve chosen to trespass on it. I’ll do whatever I feel fit to do to you. Right now you need to get the hell off my staircase.”

He hefted her up high in the air while she fought and screamed against him. 

“Goodbye wench. May I never see your putrid face again.”

He threw her off the staircase. Like he said the staircase did not make any adjustments to catch her. She must have been up very high, but at the rate she was pummeling down she would be splatted on the ground soon. She was sure it wouldn’t be a painful death. Her nerves and senses were much too overworked to register the impact. She fell, and fell, and fell. She blinked upon her eyes to see that she was a hundred feet away. Now ninety feet. Then eighty feet. Around seventy feet away from impact. As the ground neared her, she shut her eyes tightly not wanting the oncoming ground to be the last thing she saw. She counted down in her head.

One mississippi  
Two mississippi  
Three mississippi  
Four mississippi

Five mississippi   
Six mississippi  
Seven mississippi  
Eight missi-

“Gah!”

Something crashed into her abdomen with force. Knocking out what little breath she had left inside of her. Strong arms wrapped around her tightly, and she was carried upwards into the sky. Her eyes snapped open, and she was gifted by a pleasant sight. A man far more handsome than Whitianek. The first thing she noticed were his eyes, a fascinating swirl of blue and green, which bore into her. The second thing she noticed were the huge, white wings that propelled them higher into the air. The third thing she noticed left her a bit perturbed; His facial expression was grave. A lovely voice rang inside her head.

“Your test isn’t over yet. You need to make it to the top of the stairs. There you’ll recover an important piece of your memory.” 

“Elzales, you winged rat! Don’t you dare take that girl any further up my staircase! She isn’t worthy!”

The bellowing voice of Whitianek made her wince. She looked below them, and saw the enraged man glaring at them from the staircase. Elzales didn’t even bother to look at him much less react. 

“I apologize for not getting here sooner. You must be confused about a lot of things. Questions will have to wait until after your first trial is over.”

He didn’t give her a chance to respond. Somehow the never-ending staircase did have an end. He swooped down, and landed on the vibrant steps. He gently lowered her down onto her feet, and she was surprised she didn’t topple over immediately. The stairs still gave off a golden glow, and tremors continued to sweep through the staircase. At the end of the staircase, there was a gaping silver doorway that led to nothing. Elzales placed his hands on her shoulders, and pushed her in the direction of the doorway.

“You don’t have much time left. Hurry and go through before the golden devil comes.”

It was just an open doorway; It didn’t even have a door. She was supposed to go through and fall? She looked at Elzales nervously. He stood there with an impatient look on his face, and she knew he was serious. She took a few steps forward near the doorway. Even if she fell again, he wouldn’t let her hit the ground right? 

“Please hurry! The end of this trial is near.”

“Okay, will I see you again?”

“Yes, you will. Go through the doorway now.”

That was all the encouragement she needed. She highly doubted Elzales would have her go through an open doorway just for her to fall to her death. She ran through the silver doorway, and prayed she wouldn’t fall again. 

As she went through, she felt as if she were passing through a slimy membrane. It was a disgusting sensation to say the least. The world around her became out of focus. Everything changed so rapidly it nearly gave her whiplash. Suddenly, she was on some kind of vessel gliding across the water. She took a look at her surroundings. The ship wasn’t too big, but it wasn’t small either. She was on the main deck with two other people. One of them was a middle aged man who seemed to be fumbling with a camera. The other was a teenaged girl who was bounding straight for her. The girl was short, probably five foot two, and was also very pretty. Big green eyes, light brown skin, and halo braided hair. The girl was pleasantly eccentric. 

“Girl, I am so excited! We get to go snorkeling at The Great Barrier Reef! Talk about being blessed!”

She let out a giddy laugh, and wrapped her arms around the girl.

“I know this is like the best thing ever! Like really Amari, tell your mom I’m so thankful for her bringing me here.”

Amari’s eyes lit up and she opened her mouth to say something, but got interrupted by a chaperone. 

“Alright ladies! It’s time for the main event. Let’s get together for a quick picture before we jump into the waters.”

Girls she weren’t even aware of suddenly came in out of nowhere. Amari grabbed her hand, and pulled her over to the growing group hurriedly. The girls were all chattering excitedly as the chaperone yelled at them to pose. 

“Everybody say Great Barrier Reef here we come!”

“Great Barrier Reef here we come!”

CLICK

“Great picture everyone! Now hurry down and get your bathing suits on, so we can snorkel.”

Suddenly, she was in front of a mirror gazing at herself in a pink and white bikini. She never took the effort to actually examine her own appearance. She was around a nice height of five foot six. Her build wasn’t the most lithe, but she wouldn’t call herself pudgy either. She had glowing dark brown skin, and curly black hair. Her eyes were brown with speckles of gold. She was a sight to see if she said so herself. A voice brought her out of her observance.

“Sydney, you ready?”

She turned around and smiled brightly.

“Yes, I am.”

Everything went black.


End file.
